Jeremy Dineen
PURE SPIRIT
In a region unlike anywhere else, award-winning winemaker Jeremy Dineen crafts bright, pure wines that are uniquely Tasmanian and uniquely his.
Once Chief Winemaker and General Manager at Josef Chromy Wines, and now co-founder of Haddow + Dineen, Jeremy has helped Tasmania become a celebrated destination for premium wine. He’s highly respected in the local wine community, sitting on industry committees and judging at wine shows. Recently Jeremy was a finalist for the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology’s Winemaker of the Year award. And it all started in his grandfather’s wine cellar.
Showcasing Tasmanian terroir
Born and bred in Tasmania, the island state is Jeremy’s biggest inspiration. His interest in wine was sparked by his grandfather’s wine cellar, which he sampled his way through as he got older. After a stint in hospitality, Jeremy started working in wine, enticed by the promise of outdoor work among the vines and the opportunity to be creative.
Jeremy gained experience in different wineries and did vintages in Margaret River, McLaren Vale and the Goulburn Valley, then hit a career high point over a decade ago when he joined Josef Chromy Wines as it was getting off the ground. Based in the Tamar Valley, it was founded by Josef Chromy who fled his war-torn Czech village in 1950 and went on to build leading Tasmanian brands in smallgoods and wine.
Cool-climate winemaking is Jeremy’s passion. While he doesn’t have a favourite variety (“it’s like asking who’s your favourite child”), he gets most excited about making sparkling, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – wines that showcase the best of Tasmania.
“Tasmania is a very special place,” he says. “In a lot of ways, it’s very separate from Australia, and not just the 240 kilometres of water between Tasmania and mainland Australia. The climate is so different to anywhere else in Australia.
“We have this fantastic, long ripening season that gives us beautiful, elegant, delicate flavours. But also, a real concentration in purity and in acidity that gives the backbone and life to these wines that is unlike anywhere else in this country.”
Every year, the climate throws up new opportunities and challenges, keeping Jeremy on his toes.
“One of the things about growing grapes and making wine in a really cold climate is that every season is different,” he says. “You’re constantly having to reinvent the way you make wine, and that keeps it exciting … My biggest motivation is trying to make something better than I did last time.”
“In a cold climate, every season is different. You’re constantly having to reinvent the way you make wine, and that keeps it exciting.” – Jeremy Dineen
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